Police Arrest Suspect in Univesity of Portland Murder

On January 16, 2004, Portland Police Bureau Homicide Detectives arrested 30-year-old Deniz Aydiner in connection with the murder of 21-year-old Catherine “Kate” Johnson. Johnson, a University of Portland student, was found dead in her dorm room on May 29, 2001. An autopsy revealed she had been sexually assaulted and strangled.

Aydiner, who is a Turkish National and not a citizen of the United States, was arrested shortly after 3 p.m. on January 16, 2004, at Portland International Airport, where he was arriving on a flight from Frankfurt, Germany. Aydiner is a former student at the University of Portland, but was not enrolled at the time of the murder. Detectives do not believe that any relationship existed between Aydiner and Johnson, but learned through their investigation that the two were aquainted and had mutual friends.

Aydiner was lodged without bail in the Multnomah County Detention Center, on charges of Aggravated Murder, Kidnap in the First Degree, Rape in the First Degree, 2 Counts of Sodomy in the First Degree and Burglary in the First Degree. Aydiner will be arraigned on Tuesday, January 20, 2004.

Detectives are asking anyone with information about Deniz Aydiner or his activities, call Portland Police Bureau Homicide Detective Jon Rhodes at (503) 823-0459; Detective Barry Renna at (503) 823-0255; the PPB tip line at (503) 823-4636; or the Homicide Desk at (503) 823-0479.